Masquerade
by TessaStarDean
Summary: An AU FlackStella casefic, with balls and pretty dresses, and a man who sweeps her off her feet.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is an AU, where Don Flack is NOT a cop. I had a friend request a fairy tale, and though this one will move out of traditional fairy tale realm at parts, I do hope that she enjoys it - and you all as well. **

"What is this?" Stella asked with a frown.

Mac pointed to the card he had just dropped on her desk. "That, is your invitation to the masquerade."

She rolled her eyes. "I already told you, Mac. I'm not going."

"You are."

"Excuse me?"

He sighed. "Look, Stella. I know you don't think too highly of Don Flack. But he did just donate a great deal of money to the NYPD. Your presence isn't requested – it's required."

They stared at each other for a long time. Stella realized that Mac wasn't going to back down on this one, though, and she wondered if this was coming from higher up. Finally, she dropped her gaze and sighed.

"Who throws a masquerade anyway?"

Mac smiled. "Young bachelors who happen to be the heir of a Fortune 500 company."

"Right. Those."

Standing up, he patted her on the shoulder before heading to the door. "I'm sure Lindsay would love to help you find a dress. And who knows? Maybe you'll have a good time."

She watched him walk out and then rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, right."

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"How are you not excited for this?" Lindsay asked. "It's a ball!"

Stella shook her head as they stood in her kitchen making dinner. "It's nothing but a little rich kid trying to buy the town. You know how much I hate that kind of thing."

"You are looking at this in the completely wrong light."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. Don't think of it as some required function. Think of it as an excuse to wear a really pretty dress."

Stella groaned. "I have to buy a dress."

Lindsay frowned. "But you love dresses. And you love shopping. I'm not really seeing the problem here, Stella."

"The ball is Friday. Today is Wednesday. That doesn't give me much time."

Her friend suddenly smiled. "That's what fairy godmothers are for."

"What?"

Lindsay's grin widened. "Go look in your closet."

Stella gave her a suspicious look. "What did you do?"

"Stop being a pain and go look."

Staring at her for a moment more, the detective finally turned and moved down the hallway towards her bedroom. When she reached her closet, she opened it slowly, her mouth dropping when she saw what was inside it.

The dress was a vibrant red, the material thin and silky. One of her shoulders would be left completely bare, while a strap held the dress up on the other side. Turning the garment around, Stella saw that the strap split, one covering her shoulder while the other ran diagonal across her back. Beside it, on the hanger, was the mask that she would wear. It was the same color as the dress, edged with black stones, and it shone in the light. Reaching out a hand, Stella touched it carefully – it would cover the area around her eyes, masking her identity from anyone who didn't know her well. It was absolutely breathtaking.

"Do you like it?"

She turned to stare at Lindsay. "It's beautiful," she breathed. "How…?"

"Mac told me you needed a dress. So I went to the place where you got the dress for the Commissioner's Ball last year. They still had your measurements on file, so this should fit."

"I don't know what to say…" Stella shook her head before moving over to embrace her friend. "Thank you."

"And the best part?" Lindsay smiled. "You don't have to be home by midnight."

The older woman rolled her eyes. "You really have a thing for fairy tales, don't you?"

She shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe you'll meet Prince Charming."

Stella smiled, her eyes turning back to the dress. "Maybe."

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Stella sighed as she stepped out of the cab and stared up at the brightly lit building before her. A case had kept her at the office late, and it was only a call from Mac that made her finally go home and get dressed. And now she found herself adjusting her mask and walking up the stone steps, warmth and laughter spilling out the open windows.

There were more people inside than she would have thought possible, and the array of dresses and masks was stunning. Stella made her way through the crowd slowly, taking it all in, keeping an eye out for the purple dress she knew Lindsay would be wearing.

"You look amazing."

She smiled at the familiar voice. Turning around, she saw Mac standing beside her, his outfit making her think of The Phantom.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Lindsay showed me the dress she got for you. So I knew what I was looking for. Besides, I'd know those curls anywhere."

"Speaking of curls…where's Michelle?"

Mac couldn't hide his smile. "She's talking with the Commissioner, actually. Turns out her old boss was good friends with him."

Stella's eyes traveled across the room until she found her. "Looks like she's finished," she told him. "And she's looking for you."

Her smile widened at the deep blush that settled on Mac's cheeks. "I should probably get back, then."

Stella kissed his cheek. "Have fun, Mac."

"You too, Stella. There's no reason you shouldn't enjoy yourself tonight."

As he walked away, Stella once again scanned the crowd. Her eyes landed on a young man standing by the stairs, and she noticed that he was staring at her. He was dressed in all black, including his mask, but his blue eyes were piercing as they drank her in. Stella found herself blushing deeply, and she moved toward the refreshment table, unnerved by the way his gaze was making her feel. Soon, she could feel someone standing behind her, and somehow, she knew that it was him.

"You came alone."

His voice was low, and it went right through her. Stella silently cursed her body's reactions even as she turned around with a confident expression on her face.

"And that's not allowed?" she asked coolly.

He shrugged. "Unusual, is all. Most people came with dates tonight."

"And how do you know I'm not meeting up with someone?"

His eyes locked with hers. "Are you?"

"No," she said, a little breathlessly.

His lips turned upward in a little smile. "Good."

"And you?"

He reached out his hand, palm up. "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to dance."

Stella found herself smiling. "I'd love to."

She rested her hand in his, fully expecting him to lead her out onto the dance floor. Instead, they headed toward the back of the room, where there were large windows open to the cool night air. The man led her through one, and Stella found herself standing on a balcony, bathed in moonlight. Turning around, she looked up at her companion with a questioning gaze.

"I don't like crowds," he murmured.

Reaching out, he gently wrapped an arm around her and brought her close. Stella breathed him in as he took her right hand in his and they began to slowly move to the music. He wore very little cologne, but there was something about him that made her close her eyes and relax as he moved them around the balcony. His dancing was smooth and practiced, and they made good partners.

Stella wasn't sure how long they danced. For awhile she kept her gaze locked with his, getting lost in his baby blue eyes. But as they continued to move together, she moved closer, resting her head on his chest as his arm tightened around her.

She wondered what was going on. She wasn't one to meet gorgeous men and fall in love. She wasn't one who ever let her emotions control her. This entire situation was completely unlike her. And yet…Stella couldn't deny the way her knees went weak when this man looked at her, or the way she felt safe in his arms.

Picking her head up, she once again met his eyes. He was smiling at her now, and he raised one hand to push a stray lock out of her face. His touch lingered, and his hand traced the contours of her mask, his eyes questioning. Stella ducked her head; for some reason, she wasn't ready to let him see who she really was.

As she went to rest her head on his shoulder again, she caught sight of Mac Taylor standing inside, his eyes searching. When his gaze locked with hers, he held up his phone, motioning for her urgently. Stella knew what that meant – they had a crime scene to go to. Sighing, she pulled back again.

"I have to go," she whispered.

He frowned. "What? It's not even midnight."

"I know. And trust me, if I didn't have to, I wouldn't be going anywhere."

His eyes slid to the side, and he saw Mac. His hold tightened on her without his seeming to notice it.

"I thought you were here alone."

"I am," she promised. "This is work-related. But I have to go."

She untangled herself and began to move away, but then he grabbed her arms and pulled her back up against him. His hold was firm, but not hard, and she could have easily broken away if she had wanted to. If.

"Your name," he whispered, his breath hot on her skin.

She opened her mouth to give it to him, but the words just wouldn't come. Her eyes searching his, Stella finally leaned and gave him the lightest of kisses, her lips barely brushing across the corner of his mouth. His eyes widened, but she was already moving, already following Mac out of the building and out of his sight. Touching her fingers to her lips, Stella knew that this would be one night she would never forget.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for all of the warm responses, guys! Hope you like this chapter as well. I realize we're getting away from the fairy tale a little bit, but stick with me!**

Stella changed in the back of the SUV while Mac drove them to the scene. She knew that she should be asking him about the case, but her mind kept flashing back to the stranger she had been dancing with. She could still smell him on her, and she could still feel his hands whispering against her skin. Reaching out, she let her fingers drift across her mask again – it had been a long time she'd ever felt anything remotely like that, and she still couldn't believe that it had been with a complete stranger.

"I hope the clothes fit," Michelle said from the passenger's seat, interrupting her thoughts. "I'm quite a bit shorter than you."

Stella smiled at her. "I'm just happy that I don't have to process the scene in my dress."

"It really is beautiful…it would be shame to ruin it."

"Not that I'll ever have a chance to wear it again."

Michelle chuckled. "You never know."

Stella just shook her head and turned to Mac when she was finally dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of sweats. "It was nice of you to let Danny and Lindsay stay."

He shrugged. "They've been working things out. They deserve a night of fun." He glanced at her in the mirror. "Though if I had known you were so wrapped up, I might have grabbed Hawkes instead."

She blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He smirked at her. "Sure you don't." Glancing back at the road, his expression sobered. "We're here."

Mac parked the SUV, and the three of them got out, moving towards the scene. Stella carried her case over, her eyes running over the body lying facedown on the pavement. As she got closer, she saw that it was a man dressed casually, and that his face was lying in a pool of blood.

"Lovely," Michelle muttered.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that this wasn't a mugging," Stella said.

"Don't jump to conclusions," Mac chided her.

She shook her head. "There's too much blood. This looks personal."

Mac crouched down and searched the victim's pockets. "His wallet is still here." Opening it, he nodded. "At least a hundred in cash, not to mention all of his cards. His picture matches – this is Kevin Jordans, lives over on West 90th."

"Looking less and less like a mugging," Stella commented.

"Yes it is. Except…" He felt the rest of the pockets. "No cell phone."

"That's unusual. I'm not sure I've had a vic in the past year who didn't own a cell phone."

"Same here. So until we find out otherwise, we're going to assume that the murderer has it."

Stella raised an eyebrow. "Assume, Mac? That's so unlike you."

He glared at her, but Michelle walked over then, keeping him from making any retort.

"We've got zero witnesses," she announced.

"Who found the body?" Mac asked.

"We don't know. Anonymous call to 911 from a payphone. You guys can dust for prints, but…"

"There are probably dozens, if not more," Stella said. "Most likely a dead end."

"Was the caller a man or a woman?"

"Man," Michelle answered. "That's the only thing the dispatcher was sure of. And that he wasn't using any electronics to disguise the voice. Those always have a distinct sound to them."

Mac nodded. "Alright. Let's roll him over."

Carefully, they rolled the body until it was face-up. Stella leaned over, carefully inspecting the face.

"Mac?"

"Yeah?"

"There's a lot of blood on the face, but I'm not seeing any wounds. His nose isn't broken, and there aren't any cuts that would let this much blood out."

"We've got a gunshot wound to the abdomen," he observed. "That will probably be the cause of death."

Michelle grimaced. "That's a slow and painful way to die."

Mac nodded. "And there are no streaks in the blood on the pavement. So he killed the victim, and then set him face down in a pool of his own blood. That's certainly making a statement."

"It's looking very personal."

"Alright, let's process the scene and get back to the lab. Michelle, find the next of kin – I want to know who hated Kevin Jordans this much."

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"We've got a problem."

Mac looked up as Michelle walked into his office. "Okay."

"Kevin Jordans doesn't exist."

"Excuse me?"

"He's not in any system. There's no Social Security number, no birth certificate…we're running his prints, but so far nothing is coming up."

Mac frowned. "Did you go to his apartment?"

She nodded. "And there's nothing there, Mac. Non-descript furniture and clothes. No photos or any personal paperwork. The only prints we found were his."

"And the neighbors?"

"They recognized the picture, but none of them had every spoken to him. Even the landlord couldn't remember any discussions about things other than the apartment."

"Sounds like we've got ourselves a ghost."

"That's going to make it pretty hard to find his killer."

"And this isn't going to make it any easier."

They both turned to find Adam standing in the doorway, a piece of paper clutched in his hands.

"What did you find?" Mac asked.

"I finally got a hit on the prints. I sent them to Immigration – we just weren't getting hits anywhere else."

"Okay…"

"The prints…they-they came back to a British person. A British _woman_, actually."

Michelle frowned in confusion. "That's not possible."

"Generally speaking, no. So I went back to Sid, 'cause…well, I didn't know where else to start."

"And?" Mac urged, growing impatient.

"And it turns out that…that Kevin Jordans had surgery to _replace_ his fingerprints with somebody else's. It's a really gross procedure involving another person's skin. It's not pretty."

"And the woman?"

"Kara Mahoney. She moved to the States about ten years ago. And she's dead. Very dead. Buried in a small town in Connecticut."

Michelle turned to Mac. "Who goes to all that trouble to hide their identity? I mean, there was no way this guy was ever going to leave his actual prints anywhere. It's better than gloves."

"I don't know," he admitted slowly, his brow furrowed in thought. "But I can tell you one thing – Kevin Jordans, or whoever he was, couldn't have been up to anything good. And that's probably what got him killed."

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"Wait…so his fingerprints are a woman's?" Lindsay asked as they sat in the diner.

Stella nodded. "A British woman's."

"That's weird."

"Very."

"What are you guys going to do next?"

"We're waiting for the autopsy report from Connecticut. We need to know if Jordans killed this woman."

They fell silent for a moment, neither relishing the idea of a man who killed a woman and stole her fingerprints. Glancing over at her friend, Lindsay decided to change topics.

"So…" she said slowly. "Did you have fun last night?"

"At the crime scene? Of course – that's always a great time."

"Come on, Stella. You know what I'm talking about."

The older woman rolled her eyes. "Fine. Yes, I had a good time."

"See? I told you that you would!" She paused. "I looked around, but I couldn't find you."

Stella couldn't stop the blush that crept up her cheeks. "I, uh…I met someone."

Lindsay's eyes widened. "What!? Why didn't you tell me?"

She shrugged. "I guess I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it."

"But it _is_ a big deal! Who is he?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "We had masks on, remember?"

"And you didn't ask his name?"

"No."

Lindsay sighed. "There wasn't something familiar about him? Maybe you recognized his voice? Come on, Stella. It was almost all cops at that ball. It was probably someone you know."

"I can tell you without a doubt that I had never met this man before. "

The other woman smiled. "But you hit it off?"

Stella shrugged. "We didn't really talk much. But we danced…a lot."

Lindsay sighed dreamily. "That sounds so nice."

Stella finally laughed, shaking her head. "It really was…Oh my God."

She stopped suddenly as her eyes landed on the television behind the counter. Holding up her hand, she gestured for Lindsay to be quiet as she strained to listen to the woman speaking. It was the daily "buzz", where the news would go on about local bigwigs and celebrities – and there on the screen was the man she had danced with the night before. The program showed the outfit he had worn and then pulled another picture up alongside of it of a good-looking man in a business suit.

"New York aristocrat Donald Flack, Jr, looked debonair at the masquerade ball he held for the NYPD last night. Sources say that he spent most of the evening with an unidentified woman, and many are speculating about who the lucky lady might be. But we've heard that the young heir doesn't even know her identity, and that he's doing everything he can to find her. Our own Katie Newman tried to reach him for more information, but so far has had no response. All we can offer you is this picture of the woman in question."

Stella's mouth dropped open as she stared at the screen. The picture was blurry and from far away, but she could tell that it was of her as she danced on the balcony.

"Oh my God," she breathed. "That's him."

Lindsay frowned. "Him? Who?" She looked at the TV again and her eyes widened. "Don Flack? And is that that you? You spent the night with Don Flack?"

Stella closed her eyes. "Oh my God," she repeated.

"But –"

Lindsay was interrupted by the ringing of Stella's phone. The detective frowned as she answered it, her mind still racing with what she had just learned.

"Bonasera. Yeah, Mac, what's up?" She listened for a moment, her frown deepening as she the conversation went on. "Yeah, sure. We'll be right there." She flipped her phone shut and looked at her friend.

"What is it?" Lindsay asked.

"We have to go." She stood up, slipping her jacket on. "Don Flack's niece was just kidnapped."


	3. Chapter 3

"Nice place," Stella muttered as she and Lindsay stepped inside.

Danny whistled low behind them. "This ain't just nice, Stella. This is…this is somethin' else entirely."

Lindsay leaned in closer to her friend, her voice quiet. "And just think…this is the house of the guy you danced with all night."

Stella glared at her, but was interrupted before she could say anything back.

"Good. You're here."

The three of them looked up to see Mac walking toward them. He didn't look at all impressed with his surroundings, and they knew that he was all business.

"What happened?" Stella asked.

"Sophia Flack, six years old. She was in the house with her nanny when she was kidnapped."

"They were the only ones in the house?"

Mac nodded. "Don Flack was at board meeting."

Lindsay frowned. "What about Sophia's parents?"

"They're on vacation in Europe. We're trying to reach them now. Don Flack, Sr. is doing a round of business meetings in Europe as well. Sophia was staying with her uncle while they were all gone."

"And the nanny?"

"Dead."

He turned and led them up the stairs. Stella's eyes roamed as they went up, taking in the opulence of the place. Really, it was just what she expected from the Flacks, with large chandeliers and a spiral staircase. But as they reached the second floor and moved into the little girl's bedroom, all thoughts about her surroundings ceased.

The room was in shambles. A lamp was overturned, shattered and lying in pieces across the floor. A table had been knocked over as well, and stuffed animals littered the floor. Stella had been to enough crime scenes to know that this wasn't a little girl's messy room – there had been a serious struggle here.

In the middle of the floor was the nanny. A clear plastic bag covered her face, her eyes wide open as they stared lifelessly out at them. One of her shoes was off, and Stella saw that it was on the other side of the room, lying almost under the bed.

"Defensive wounds on her hands and arms," Hawkes commented from his place by the body. "I scraped under her fingernails. Maybe we'll get lucky and she got a piece of her attacker."

Danny frowned as he moved into the room. "Scuff marks on the wall." Turning he looked back at the nanny's shoes. "Looks like they match her sneakers."

"She put up one hell of a fight," Stella said quietly.

"What an awful way to die," Lindsay said. "She probably watched as they grabbed Sophia."

Stella closed her eyes. "Her last thought that she had failed to protect the little girl. I hate this job sometimes."

Mac nodded. "Danny, Lindsay, I want you both to process the room. Stella, you and I are going to talk to Don Flack."

The two of them turned and left the room, moving back down the stairs.

"What are you thinking?" she asked. "Inside or outside job?"

"I'm not sure. The security system was intact when Don got home."

"Which suggests someone who knew the code came in."

"We'll have to wait for Adam to look at the system. Then he can tell us which access codes were used and when."

Walking into the kitchen, Stella tried to keep a blank face as she saw Don Flack, Jr. Both hands on the kitchen counter, he was leaning forward, an exhausted slump to his shoulders. When he heard them enter the room, he looked up, and Stella noted the sadness in his eyes. They didn't sparkle like they had the night before, and that pained her more than she wanted to admit.

"Mr. Flack?" Mac asked.

"Please, call me Don."

The two men shook hands as the detective continued to speak. "I'm Mac Taylor. I'll be leading the investigation. And this is Stella Bonasera."

Don reached out and shook her hand. Stella resisted closing her eyes at his touch – even from a short distance, she could smell him, and a flood of memories from the night before came washing over her. Taking a deep breath, she put her mind back on the case.

"We're sorry for your loss, Mr. Flack. And we'll do everything we can to get Sophia back."

"Don," he repeated, his eyes searching hers. "Have…have we met before?"

Panic flared in her chest. "No," she said, struggling to keep her voice steady. "No, I don't think so."

Mac led them all over to the kitchen table, giving her an excuse to drop her eyes and move away from him.

"Who knew that Sophia would be here?" Mac asked.

Don frowned. "Anyone who knows where she lives, I guess."

"I thought she was staying with you while her parents were on vacation," Stella said.

"It's more the other way around. I'm staying here and watching her."

"So this is your brother's house?"

He nodded. "I live in an apartment on Columbus Ave."

"Alright," Mac said. "What about the nanny?"

"Karis has been with them since Sophia was born. She's good people." He paused. "Was."

"She fought hard," Stella said quietly, wanting to give him some comfort. "It looks like she did everything she could to protect your niece."

"Did she live here?" Mac asked.

Don nodded. "Yeah. Her room is – was – right next to Sophia's. My niece loved her nanny. She was one of the family."

"What about her life outside of her job?"

"She was going to school part time – wanted to be a daycare teacher. She went out with friends occasionally, but…Sophia took up most of her time. And she loved her job."

"What about a boyfriend?"

He frowned, thinking. "I remember my brother saying something about a guy…he was joking that he didn't want her to get married to early – he'd lose a great nanny." He paused. "You don't think –"

Stella held up a hand. "We have to cover all our bases."

"Right. So where do we go from here?"

"Have you managed to get a hold of your brother?" she asked.

Don sighed. "Not yet. They went skiing in the middle of nowhere. The one time Mikey shuts his damn phone off…" He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm just…frustrated."

Mac stood up, and Stella followed suit. "We'll bring the evidence back to the lab and get started. We'll call you as soon as we know anything."

The two men shook hands again, and then the detectives turned to leave the kitchen. Don reached out at the last second and grabbed Stella's arm, spinning her around. His grip wasn't hard, but her eyes widened, and for a moment they just stared at one another.

"You're sure I don't know you?" he asked quietly.

She smiled nervously, her heart pounding. "Where would we have possibly met?" she asked, hating how breathless her voice was.

When he didn't answer, Stella gently removed her arm from his grip. She could feel his eyes on her back as she walked away, but she refused to turn around.

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"What are those?" Lindsay asked as she and Stella worked in the lab.

"Pictures from the parents' bedroom. Looks like Sophia was trying to get to the panic room in their closet."

The room in the photographs was just as trashed as the little girls' had been. Lamps were knocked over, and clothes flung about the room.

"She was a fighter, too," Stella whispered.

Lindsay shook her head. "We need to get these bastards before they hurt her."

"Damn straight. How are you doing?"

"Well, I proved that the scuff marks on the wall belonged to Karis' shoes. She must have kicked off of it when they wrapped the bag around her head."

"Any prints on the bag?"

"No. They must have been wearing gloves." She glanced over at her friend. "So…did he recognize you?"

Stella sighed. "Sort of…he knows that he knows me from somewhere. But so far he hasn't placed me."

"Why don't you just tell him?"

"Can you actually see us together, Lindsay? He's the heir to his father's company. He's ridiculously rich. And spoiled rich kids aren't exactly my thing."

"That's not fair," her friend said firmly. "You don't know that he's like that. You were almost giddy after last night, and according to the news, he's been searching everywhere for you. That's something worth exploring, Stella – give him a chance."

"Not now," she said quietly, her eyes locked on the pictures. "I can't do this now. We need to find this little girl, and then…"

"And then?"

"And then…we'll see. I promise to at least think about it."

Lindsay grudgingly nodded. "That's at least something."

Adam walked in then, effectively cutting off anymore talk about Stella and Don. He held a piece of paper in front of him, and he was shifting his weight from foot to foot as he stood in front of them.

"Okay…so this is weird."

Stella frowned. "You got something?"

"You could say that…I ran the DNA from under the nanny's fingernails. No match in the system."

"Of course not," Lindsay replied. "But what's so weird about that?"

"Mac had me run the fingerprints in the room, too. And there was one that Danny found on the window frame, higher up than the little girl could have reached."

"And?" Stella urged, her impatience growing.

Adam took a deep breath. "And it belongs to Kevin Jordans. Well…Kara Mahoney, but he stole her prints, so..."

Stella frowned. "But Jordans was dead before Sophia was kidnapped."

Lindsay's eyes widened. "Which means he was in her room _before_ he died."

For a moment, the three of them just stared at each other. But as Stella opened her mouth to speak, the door to the lab burst open and Mac came in.

"My office, now. Don Flack just got a ransom note."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short. **

Stella knew she shouldn't have been surprised to find Don in Mac's office. He had walked the note over himself, and now he was pacing, clearly agitated. When they opened the door and came in, his head snapped up, his eyes momentarily locking with Stella's. Then he was facing Mac, pointing to the note sitting on the desk.

"What do we do about this?" he demanded.

"My team needs to look at it, dust for prints, and find any other evidence that there might be. I promise you, Don, we will do everything we can to find your niece."

"Can we see the note?" Stella asked.

Mac handed her a pair of gloves before putting on his own and picking up the piece of paper. Taking it from him, she gently opened it, a chill running through her as she stared at the words.

_She'll pay for your sins._

She looked up to see Don looking at her intently. Passing the note to Danny and Lindsay, she took off her gloves.

"Do you have any idea what that's supposed to mean?" she asked.

"No."

"Are you sure? Anything at all –"

"How am I supposed to know?" he asked, his voice rising with his frustration. "I don't even know who this is! There are plenty of crazies out there who might hate me for any number of things – my money, my family, my father's company. I don't know!"

"Alright," Mac cut in. "Danny, Lindsay, I want you to get started on the note. Adam, I want you to take the envelope and see if there's anything unique about it." He turned back to Don. "We'll call you as soon –"

"No," he said firmly. "I'm not goin' anywhere."

Mac inwardly sighed. He could tell from the set of Flack's jaw and the look in his eye that he wasn't going to leave the lab unless they dragged him out. And he wasn't willing to do that.

"Alright. But I can't have you wandering around in the lab. It's against protocol. Stella, would you show him to your office?"

She froze at his words, but forced a smile onto her face. Now was not the time for her to be worrying about where Don Flack was. "Sure." She tilted her head. "This way."

They walked down the halls in silence. Stella knew that she should say something, that she should be offering him reassurances that they would get his niece back safely. But as she watched him out of the corner of her eye, she knew that this was a man who didn't want to be pumped full of hope that might turn out to crush him in the end. He wanted the facts, and he wanted them as soon as they were available.

She led him into her office, silently offering one of the chairs. Don sank down into it, letting his head fall into his hands as he took a deep breath. Unsure of whether to leave him alone or not, Stella moved slowly, sitting on the edge of her desk as she faced him.

"Did you get a hold of your brother?" she asked quietly.

He nodded, lifting his head as he sniffed. "Yeah. He and Laurie and my dad are catching the next flight out."

"Laurie…is that your sister-in-law?"

"Yeah."

He sounded so lost that Stella didn't even think about it before she reached out and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Reaching up, Don placed his hand over hers, his eyes searching her face. "Why do you seem so familiar?" he asked quietly.

The intensity in his eyes practically choked her. Her mouth open, she wondered if she should just tell him. The few hours they had spent together had been amazing, and part of her questioned what exactly she was afraid of.

"I –"

Her phone rang then, making both of them jump. Taking a deep breath, Stella reached over and picked it up, her heart beating unnaturally fast.

"Bonasera."

She listened for a few moments, and then hung up. Glancing at Don, she pushed herself away from the desk.

"I have to go. But…feel free to make yourself at home. There's coffee in the break room, which is down the hall on your left." Taking a piece of paper, she scribbled something down. "And here's my number…in case you need anything."

"Thanks," he said, gently taking the paper from her.

Stella nodded. She thought maybe she should say something else, but nothing came to mind, so she just turned and walked out of the room. Moving down towards the morgue, she lost herself in thought – everything from the case to the exact color of Don Flack's eyes. When she finally reached her destination, Sid gave her an amused look.

"Interesting thoughts, Stella?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Too much on the brain, is all. You called?"

His gaze slid past her, and he raised his eyebrows. "Do we bring guests into the morgue now?"

Frowning in confusion, Stella turned around. When she realized that Don was standing just behind her, her eyes widened.

"Don?"

He shrugged. "I can't just sit there, Stella. I thought maybe you'd be workin' on Sophia's case, and…"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but…this is a different case. And you can't be down here…"

She trailed off as she realized that he wasn't listening to her anymore. His eyes were fixed on something in the room, and he brushed past Stella as he moved forward.

"Don?"

He stared down at the body, disbelief and confusion warring across his face. Reaching out, he almost touched the arm closest to him, but pulled back at the last second, as though he couldn't bring himself to do it. Stella moved up to stand beside him, gently resting a hand on his elbow.

"Don?" she urged.

"I know him," he breathed.

She frowned, looking down at the body of Kevin Jacobs. "Are you sure?"

Don nodded. "When did he…?"

"Last night," she told him. "We found him in the Park."

"Mugging?"

"We're not sure yet," she sidestepped. "How do you know him?"

Don raised his eyes to meet hers. "He was my brother's best friend."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Today was a crazy day, so I'm really just hoping that this chapter makes sense and works :) I'm going to be really busy for the next two days, so I wanted to get this out now. I hope you enjoy :) **

"When we were kids, our dad insisted that we get out and play. And not with the kids we went to private school with. He would have our nanny take us down to a park in the Bronx and we would play with the neighborhood kids. I guess it was his way of makin' sure we didn't get too spoiled.

Anyway, we made friends with these two kids – Justin and Andy. One summer we did everything together – played hoops, got in trouble, ran around like a buncha no-good bums. It was great."

Don looked up from his seat in Mac's office, meeting the thoughtful gazes of the team. "Lost track of both of 'em a long time ago. And then I saw Andy on that table…"

"Do you remember his last name?" Stella asked gently.

He frowned. "Carmen, I think. Andy Carmen." His frown deepened as he peered at her. "Why? Didn't he have ID on him?"

"He did," she replied. "But the name on it was Kevin Jordans."

"I don't know that name."

"Neither did any of our databases."

"It gets more complicated," Mac added. "He had his fingerprints surgically changed. They came back with a woman's name."

"That doesn't make any –"

"And those prints were found in your niece's bedroom," Danny finished.

Don stopped, staring at the C.S.I. "What?" He turned back to Stella, his eyes searching hers. "You think...you think Andy had somethin' to do with this?"

"It's starting to look that way," Mac answered.

Stella leaned forward, resisting the urge to take Don's hands in hers. "Right now, Justin is the only lead that we have. Do you know where he might be?"

He sighed, running a hand over his face. "No. I…His full name was Justin Marris. He moved away after that summer and I never saw him again."

"Does Justin have any reason to hate you or your brother?"

Don took a deep breath as he thought back. As he started to speak, he stared down at his hands, his voice quiet.

"Near the end of the summer…we were tossin' a football in an alley, playin' around some place we didn't belong. There was this pile of old boards, and Justin dove to catch the ball and landed on 'em…" He trailed off, closing his eyes. "There was a shaft underneath. I don't know if it was an abandoned manhole or what, but…Justin fell to the bottom. He was hurt pretty bad. We looked around for a rope or somethin', but there…We got scared."

"You ran," Danny said, his eyes narrowing.

Don nodded. "Andy stayed. I can still remember Justin callin' out, beggin' us to stay with him. When we got home, my brother turned around and told me that I wasn't allowed to tell anybody what happened." He shook his head. "I couldn't do it though. I called 911 and gave 'em directions to where Justin was. I kept expecting for 'em to show up at my place, but…I guess he never told 'em."

"And he waited this long for revenge?"

Don's voice dropped down to a whisper. "He fell around dusk…Justin was afraid of the dark."

"And you left him there."

His head snapped up. "It's not somethin' I'm proud of, Detective Messer. But it's what happened. I can't change that now."

"The note said that she would pay for your sins," Lindsay said carefully. "This could be what the kidnapper was talking about."

Mac nodded. "Then let's start digging. Right now, Justin Marris is the best suspect we've got."

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Stella walked into her office, not surprised when she saw Don Flack sitting there. He glanced up when she came in, hope flaring in his eyes. She couldn't imagine the amount of stress he was under, and her heart hurt for him. Giving him a gentle smile, she held up the files in her hands.

"I pulled everything I could on Andy and Justin. I'm hoping that there will be something in here to lead us to Sophia."

"Can I help?"

She handed him one of the files. "Here's Andy's."

"There's something I don't understand," she said a few minutes later, as they continued to pour over the files.

"Okay."

Raising her eyes, she looked at him carefully. "Why take Sophia? I mean, I understand that he wanted to make your brother pay, but…wouldn't he have taken someone else to get back at you? A girlfriend, maybe?"

Don shook his head. "No girlfriend to take." Stella ignored the way her heart soared at that little piece of knowledge, and forced herself to listen to him as he continued. "And Sophia's the closest person in my life."

"How so?"

He thought for a minute. "My brother…he's been married once before. His first wife was Sophia's mother."

"Did they split up?"

"No. Cathy, she…she died three years ago. Mikey didn't take it well, and he kinda…shut down for awhile. When I saw that he could barely take care of himself – nevermind Sophia – I moved in for a few months. Mikey was barely functioning, and I…I took care of her. I cooked for her, I read her bedtime stories, I tucked her in…I love that little girl, Stell. More than I thought possible." Shaking his head, he wiped at his eyes and refocused on the file in front of him. "Andy was arrested for a few B&E's…pretty high-tech stuff. Then it looks like he disappeared a few years ago. After that, there's no record of anything."

Stella frowned. "It looks like Justin enrolled in a school in Connecticut after that summer you spent together, but that's the last thing we have from him. I don't see any transcripts after that first year, or a driver's license…these guys were totally off the map."

"Do you…" He swallowed roughly. "Do you really think he's been plannin' this for that long? Could he really hate us this much?"

"I don't know," she said softly. "People have gone nuts for less." Leaning over, she opened the bottom of her desk and began rifling through its contents. "But he's playing some game, and I don't think he'll do anything to Sophia until he's done…"

Don wasn't listening anymore. His eyes were locked on her drawer, her voice slowly fading into the background. A flash of red had caught his attention, and now he found himself staring at a masquerade mask – one that he would know anywhere. Slowly, he raised his eyes to stare at Stella, his mouth open in surprise.

"Hey!"

They both jumped as Mac came bursting into the room, but stood when they saw the look on his face.

"We got a call," he explained. Then he looked at Don. "It's Justin, and he wants to talk to you."

He nodded, and the detective picked up Stella's phone. After pressing a few buttons, he put the handset down, and they could all hear breathing on the other line.

"We're here," he said.

"Donnie?" The voice was low and obviously altered, and it sent a chill through everyone in the room.

"Yeah. Is that you, Justin?"

"Ahhh. So you figured it out. You and your little C.S.I.s."

"Where's Sophia?"

"Right to the chase, then. I like that. Wouldn't want your new friends tracing the call. It would ruin the fun of the game."

Don's jaw clenched. "This ain't a game, you bastard!" he yelled. "You've got my niece!"

Justin chuckled. "Ahhh, but it _is_ a game, Donnie. And you're going to play along. If you want Sophia to live."

Taking deep breaths, Don tried to calm himself. "I'm listening."

"Good. I left you a little present taped under Detective Bonasera's desk."

Everyone froze at his words. Slowly, Stella reached her hand under her desk, feeling around until her fingers touched paper. She gently pulled it away from the metal, and passed it to Don.

"Inside, you'll find an address, and once you get there, you'll find your first clue. And our game will really get started."

"When I get my hands on you, you son of a bitch –"

"No, no, no, Donnie," the voice interrupted. "No time for threats. You're going to want to find Sophia while she's still in one piece. And Donnie? The clock is ticking."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I warn you, this chapter is fairly long. But I also believe that there is only one more to the end. So yay! Thanks to all those who have read and commented - it really means a lot!**

**Warning: There's a disturbing suggestion in one part of this. Just wanted to give you fair warning.**

They drove quickly, ignoring every speed limit, swerving around other vehicles, and flying through Manhattan. Don clutched at the bar above his door as Stella drove, and she stole glances at him every other second, trying to read what was going on in his head.

"What if it's a trap?" he asked suddenly.

Stella was caught off-guard by his question. "What?"

"This clue. What if it's a trap? What if Justin just plans on killing us?"

She thought about it for a moment before shaking her head firmly. "No, I don't think that's his plan. He wants to make you suffer, Don, and he can't do that if he kills you before you see Sophia again. He's playing a sick and twisted game - and I don't think he's ready for it to be over just yet."

His face visibly paled. "Do you...do you think she's still alive, Stell?"

Not giving her brain a chance to catch up, she reached over and took his hand in hers.

"Yes," she said, putting as much force and confidence into her voice as she could. "I do."

For a moment, their eyes locked, and Stella felt a spark in the pit of her stomach. His fingers entwined with hers and her breathing hitched as she squeezed his hand.

"We're here," Mac's voice crackled over the walkie-talkie sitting between them.

After that, there was no more room for talk. As soon as the vehicle was stopped, both Stella and Don were jumping up, staring up at the place before them. An old woman sat on a swing on the front porch, her hands folded neatly in her lap.

"Mrs. Clement?" Don asked, his face registering shock.

She nodded sadly. "He told me you'd be coming, Donnie."

The C.S.I.s looked at the pair in confusion. Finally, Stella reached out and rested her hand on Don's arm.

"Don?"

He jumped slightly, as though surprised to see that she was still standing there. Then he shook himself and started moving up the stairs.

"This is Mrs. Clement," he said quietly. "She was my nanny when I was a kid."

The old woman nodded as she stood and embraced Don. They held onto each other for a long moment, reconnected by Justin and his game. When they finally pulled back, Mrs. Clement reached up and touched Don's face gently.

"I remember that summer," she said quietly. "I remember the pain in your voice when you told me what happened. I remember the haunted look in your eyes when you made the decision to go against Mikey and call the police. I remember it all, Donnie."

"He's got my niece," he whispered brokenly.

"I know." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "He called me, left a message on my machine. And then I found this taped to my bathroom mirror."

With shaking hands, Don opened the note and his eyes ran over it three or four times.

"What does it say?" Danny finally asked, unable to take the waiting.

"I shoulda known," he murmured.

"Should've known what?"

He turned to face them. "He wants me to go back."

"Go back where?" Lindsay asked.

"To where I left him the last time."

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"I thought there was supposed to be an alley here," Danny commented as they arrived at their next destination.

"This building went up five or six years ago," Mac explained. "This whole section needed work, and they tore all the buildings down, starting from scratch again."

"Big project." Danny glanced over at Don. "So where are we supposed to go?"

The other man pointed at the building right in front of them. "The note just gave the address. I'm guessin' we find our next clue inside."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and find your guy in there instead. I'd like a shot at him."

"Get in line," Stella muttered as she stepped out to take the lead.

They moved in quickly but cautiously. Don was in the middle, wearing a vest, but the only one to be unarmed. The C.S.I.s swept the front hall, only to find that there was no one there.

"Do we go up?" Lindsay asked.

Stella shook her head. "I don't think so."

They all moved closer to see what she was looking at. There was a fire ax in a case in the wall, and a note taped to the glass. Pulling gently, Stella removed the note and held it so that the others could see.

"Down," she read aloud. "And there's an arrow."

Looking to their left, in the direction the arrow was pointing, they all saw a wooden door. Mac headed over to it immediately, trying the handle first.

"Locked," he informed them. He pulled at the handle harder, but the door wouldn't open.

"I think we're supposed to use this," Don said.

Pulling his arm back, he slammed his elbow into the case. Glass shattered, spilling out across the floor, and he reached in to remove the ax.

"There's usually a handle on those things," Danny muttered.

Don shook his head. "Check out the padlock on it. Justin wanted the glass broken."

"Just like he wants you to break down the door," Mac said. "He wants to know that you're coming."

"Yeah, well just wait 'til I get through the door and get my hands on him. I won't need the damn ax then."

"Stella, I want you and Lindsay and Danny to go around and find another way downstairs. Don and I will get through this door. If you get a shot at Justin, and he's got Sophia, you take it, you understand me?"

"How can you be sure that leads downstairs?" Lindsay asked, nodding at the door.

It was Don that answered. "Because he wants me in the dark."

Stella nodded, her eyes glued on Don. He looked lost, but there was an iron in his stance now, and she knew that he would do whatever was necessary to get his niece back.

"We'll meet you down there," she said quietly.

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The sound of Don slamming the ax into the wooden door followed the three C.S.I.s as they moved out of the building. Stella took a deep breath, trying to steady herself enough to think clearly.

"What about next door?" Lindsay asked. "Most of these buildings have a basement, and there's a chance they could all be connected."

Nodding in agreement, Stella led them to the building to their right. It was full of apartments, and she flashed her badge at the person coming out, so that they held the door open for them. Moving in, they fanned out, looking for a way downstairs.

"There's nothing here," Stella said, her despair and panic rising. "All these doors lead into apartments."

One of the doors opened, and an old man stepped out. "You lookin' for something?" he asked.

Danny held up his badge. "This place got a basement?"

"'Course it does."

"Where?"

He jabbed his thumb into the room behind him. "The only access in is from here. I'm the super, and I'm the only one that's allowed down there." He nodded at their badges. "'Course, I suppose since you're cops I can let you down there, too."

"Thank you," Stella breathed as they all followed him into the apartment.

"What about the basement next door?" Lindsay asked. "Any chance they're connected by a door or something?"

The old man thought for a moment. "There's a crawl space in the back corner. It's real tight, but it'll getcha across. 'Course, there's a door from the building on the other side. That would be much easier to get through."

"You two go," Stella said immediately. "I'll use the crawl space, and then we can have him surrounded."

"You sure?" Danny asked. "What if you can't get through?"

"I'll be fine. Just go! I want to get this bastard now."

The other two nodded and headed back outside. When they were gone, Stella turned to the super.

"Show me."

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The crawl space was every bit as tight and dark as the super had warned, but Stella forced herself to continue. If they could surround Justin, they might be able to take him without any bloodshed, and save Sophia before he could do her any harm. And that was Stella's main goal – to get the little girl out.

Soon enough, she felt cooler air brush across her face, and voices came drifting over to her. Feeling her way with her hands, she found the end of the crawl space and eased herself out of it, breathing a sigh of relief when her feet touched the ground. The basement she had come into was just as dark as the crawl space, but she knew she wasn't alone.

"Where is she, Justin?" Don demanded, his voice somewhere off to her left. "Where's Sophia?"

There was a dry chuckle from the middle of the room. "One thing at a time, Donnie. One thing at a time…"

"Where is she!?" he yelled.

"Did you really think I was just gonna give her back to you?" Justin countered, his voice snapping in the darkness. "After everything you did to me?"

Don gentled his voice. "Look, I'm sorry about that. But it was a long time ago, Justin. And Sophia didn't have anything to do with it."

"You're right – she's innocent. Just like I was when you left me in the dark."

"And what about Andy? You killed him, didn't you? Even after he stayed with you."

Justin snorted. "Stayed with me? Only until the sirens started! As soon as he knew that the cops were coming, he ran, too. His cowardice was almost as bad as yours and your brother's."

Stella stepped forward silently, trying to get a bead on where exactly Justin was standing. But as her foot came back down to the ground, she kicked something, and a small noise came from her right. The detective froze and then slowly crouched down, reaching out a hand.

"Sophia?" she whispered as quietly as she could.

She reached out a little further, and she found herself touching soft hair. Moving her hands a little more, she found a small face, and then a gag stuffed in the mouth.

"Sophia," she whispered again. "I'm a detective. I'm here with your Uncle Don. I need you to come with me, okay?"

As she removed the gag from her mouth, she felt the little girl nod. The knots were tight, and it was difficult to undo them when she couldn't see anything, but Stella soon had her free. Glancing back over her shoulder in the direction of the men's voices, she wished that she had some way to let the others know that she had Sophia. But she didn't want Justin to know, in case he had a gun and decided to open fire in their direction.

Picking the little girl up, she moved back to the crawl space. She lifted her in and whispered to her to go first. With one last look at the dark room behind her, Stella crawled into the hole and followed Sophia out.

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"You have a beautiful niece, Donnie," Justin continued, his voice echoing through the darkness. "She looks just like your brother."

"You leave her alone," Don said, his voice tight. "I swear to God, Justin, if you hurt her even just a little –"

"Hurt her? Oh, Donnie, I've already done that."

Something in the other man's voice made Don's skin crawl. "What are you talking about?"

"She tasted so sweet, Donnie. So sweet –"

Don snapped. Lunging forward, he threw himself toward the voice and slammed into Justin, knocking them both to the ground. He never gave his former friend the chance to get up – he pinned him to the ground with his legs and just started hitting him. His fists swung down again, and again, making contact with Justin's face every time. He was fairly certain that he was yelling as well, but his voice sounded foreign to him, and the only thing that mattered was making Justin pay for any pain he had caused Sophia.

A door to the left burst open, and light came flooding into the room, along with Danny and Lindsay. Then Mac was there, pulling him off of Justin, his voice slowly calming Don down until the roar of blood in his ears finally started to dissipate. He let Mac lead him away, even as Danny and Lindsay cuffed Justin and read him his rights.

Then he remembered Sophia. His eyes roaming over the room, he searched frantically for her.

"She's not here," he said, his panic rising. "Mac, she's not here!"

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Sophia clung to Stella tightly as the two of them made their way out onto the street. More cops had shown up while they were inside, and Stella searched for a familiar face. Her gaze finally rested on Angell, and she moved toward her as the other detective listened to the voice coming from her walkie-talkie.

"The Amber Alert still stands," Mac Taylor said, his voice crackling. "I repeat, the little girl is still missing."

Reaching out, Stella grabbed the walkie. "Mac, it's Stella. I've got Sophia. We're outside and she's safe."

She heard a shuffle on the other end, and then Don Flack was bursting out of the building and running down the steps towards them.

"Uncle Don!" Sophia cried.

Stella set the little girl down, and then watched with tears in her eyes as the two were reunited. Don swept his niece up into his arms, clutching her tightly to him. Everyone had stopped and was watching them now, relief flooding through the crowd as they realized that the nightmare was over.

"Are you okay?" Don asked, his hands running over her hair and dirty dress. "Did he hurt you?"

Sophia shook her head. "He didn't hurt me. He just yelled a lot. About you and Daddy being bad men. But I didn't believe him, Uncle Don. And that just made him madder."

He stared at her in hopeful disbelief. "But he didn't hurt you? He didn't…touch you?"

She shook her head again. "I got hungry and he said I wasn't allowed to eat, but that was it." Her lip trembled. "He hurt Karis though, Uncle Don. I saw him do it."

Don kissed her forehead. "I know, baby. I know."

Stella smiled as they once again embraced each other. Sniffing back tears of her own, she turned to look for Mac, who was seeing that Justin was put into a patrol car immediately. As she took her first few steps however, she felt someone grab her arm from behind, and roughly spin her around. She opened her mouth to cry out, but then found herself being enveloped by strong arms, and she breathed in a scent that she already knew all too well.

"Thank you," Don murmured, still holding Sophia in one arm as he hugged Stella. She felt his lips press against her cheek, and then trail back to her ear. "Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome," she murmured.

Then she finally let herself relax and wrapped her arms around him tightly, hugging him back.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This is it! Hope you all enjoyed it, and thanks to everyone who read and reviewed!**

"What's this?" Stella asked when Mac dropped an envelope on her desk.

"Your invitation."

She glanced up at him with a smirk. "Haven't we had this conversation before?"

"We have. Except that this time it isn't a masked ball we're being invited to."

"Oh?" Stella raised an eyebrow. "What is it then?"

Mac shrugged as he headed for the door. "Open it. And Stella? Your attendance isn't required this time, but I really think you should go."

She watched him go, a nervous excitement building in her stomach. Reaching out, she picked the envelope up and slowly opened it. Inside was a card, telling her that she was "cordially invited" to Sophia Flack's princess birthday party. Stella couldn't help but smile at that as she took in the fairy princesses all over the front of the invitation. When she opened the card, a piece of paper fell out, and she stared at it for a moment before unfolding it.

_Stella – _

_Please come._

_- Don_

Her smile broadened at the simplicity of it. She wasn't one for flowery speeches and pretty words – for her, it was just enough that he wanted her there. Glancing down at the date, she immediately put it down on her calendar. Whatever her fears might be, she finally realized that she wasn't willing to pass this up.

"What's that?" Lindsay asked, coming into the office.

"My invitation to Sophia's party. I'm sure it looks just like yours."

The other woman snatched the invitation out of Stella's hands and looked it over. "We didn't get invitations – Mac just told us where to be and when. You got an invitation?"

Stella nodded slowly. "Yeah, and…

"And what?"

She smiled shyly. "A note."

Lindsay's face lit up. "From Don? What did it say?"

"Please come."

Lindsay sighed happily. "Really?"

"Yes." She ran her hands over her face. "God, I'm blushing like a teenager."

"No, you're blushing like a smitten woman. And there is nothing wrong with that." She paused. "We're not gonna have to twist your arm to go this time, right?"

Stella shook her head. "No. I'm definitely going this time."

"And you'll tell him? Who you are?"

"I want to."

"Then do it!"

Stella sighed. "You make it sound so easy."

"That's because it is. You say, 'Hey, remember that really hot chick you danced with and fell head over heels in love with? Yeah, that was me.' See? Easy."

She laughed. "I'm going to try for something a little more eloquent."

Lindsay shrugged. "Whatever. Just do it."

"I will," Stella promise. "I will."

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"Miss Stella!"

The C.S.I. turned to see little Sophia Flack running towards her in a pink dress and fairy wings. She leaped into Stella's arms and hugged her tightly, smiling and waving at the rest of the team as they came in.

"You came!"

Stella smiled. "Of course we came. You look very pretty in your dress."

Sophia's smile faded just a bit. "But you don't have a costume!"

"We didn't know it was a costume party."

The little girl thought for a moment. "I have a tiara you could wear. But I think my Uncle Don wants to talk to you."

"I'm sure he does," Lindsay murmured.

Stella glared at her and then smiled at Sophia. "You go have fun and I'll come see you in a little bit, okay?"

Sophia nodded and ran back over to her friends. Stella turned to the rest of her team, but they were already moving away towards the tables.

"Tell him!" Lindsay whispered as she walked by.

Stella looked up to see Don walking towards her, dressed down in a pair of jeans and a blue long-sleeved shirt. His eyes sparkled, and she found herself grinning at him.

"Hey."

"Hi," she replied. "Thank you for inviting us."

"I guess we're trying to say thank you." He glanced over at his niece. "You saved her life."

She followed his gaze. "How's your brother handling everything?" she asked, nodding at the man sitting next to Sophia.

Don smiled. "He hasn't left her side since he got back. He's still mad at himself for not being here when it happened, and he feels guilty that it was Justin, but –"

"That wasn't your fault," Stella said firmly. "You made a mistake when you were kids, but nothing justifies what he did."

"I know," he said quietly.

They stood there for a moment, neither sure of what to say next. Stella clasped her hands in front of her, trying to keep them from shaking.

"I got your note," she finally said, cursing the blush that she felt creeping onto her cheeks.

Don smiled. "Good. I'm really glad you came." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually…I was wondering if maybe…you'd like to dance."

"What?"

He shrugged. "It's cheesy Disney princess music, but –"

Stella reached out and rested her hand on his arm. "I'd love to," she said.

He let out a sigh of relief and gently took her hand in his. Stella knew that the others were watching them, but for once she didn't care. As soon as Don pulled her into his arms she was lost again, memories of their first dance flooding back to her. Letting her hand rest on the back of his neck, she moved with him to the music, her eyes locked with his.

They continued to dance, oblivious of the music as one song ended and another began. Stella's skin was warm where his hand rested in the small of her back, and her mind was racing as she tried to figure out how to tell him who she was.

"Do you hate me, Stell?"

Her eyes locked with his as she looked at him in confusion. "What? Of course not."

"Do you dislike me at all?"

"No, Don…I actually…I like you quite a lot."

He swallowed hard, moving just a little closer to her. "Then why didn't you tell me? That it was you I danced with that night?"

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him. "How did you find out?" she whispered.

Don gave her a small smile. "I saw the mask in your drawer." She blushed, and he set his hand under her chin, bringing her eyes back to his. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked again.

"I was scared," she admitted.

"Of what?"

"This. Us. What might happen. I was afraid…that it wasn't real. That I would get my hopes up and everything would come crashing down."

He brought his face up to hers. "This is real, Stell. Whatever this is between us, it's real. And I don't wanna let it go."

"Neither do I," she whispered.

"Have dinner with me tonight," he murmured.

"Yes."

"And tomorrow night."

"Yes."

"And the night after that."

"Yes –"

He pressed his lips to hers, cutting her off. Stella's eyes fluttered shut as they stopped moving, one of Don's hands coming up to cradle her head. The kiss was slow and gentle, and it made her head spin – it was everything she had been afraid of, and everything she wanted. Silencing the voice of doubt in her head, she sighed and kissed him back, letting herself sink into him.

888888888888888888

"Is Miss Stella a princess?" Sophia asked as she sat next to Lindsay and watched the pair kiss.

The C.S.I. smiled. "Yes, she is."

"So Uncle Don is her Prince?"

"Yep."

"Then what happens now?"

Lindsay turned to look at her friend, still locked in an embrace with Don. Her smile widening, she turned back to Sophia.

"They get to live happily ever after, of course.".


End file.
